National Institutes of Health

President Trump briefly proposed shifting authority over National Institutes of Health grants from NIH's peer-review process to White House political appointees, then reportedly backed off the plan within days. The White House has not officially confirmed the plan is scrapped, leaving biotech companies wary of continued instability.

Richmond-based Evizia, which is developing DNA sequencing technology to aid genetic analysis and disease diagnosis, says it is still feeling the effects. The company received a $2.2 million NIH Small Business Innovation grant last year, but delayed funding has prevented it from hiring staff needed for the project. Evizia's Chief Technology Officer Jason Reed warned that added political oversight could slow development of diagnostic tools for diseases including certain cancers, and said the industry doesn't need "another layer of bureaucratic oversight." This follows earlier Trump administration cuts and freezes of roughly $3 billion in previously approved research grants in 2025. Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the proposed grant overhaul.